Citing overcapacity and low margins in the EPS market, German chemical firm BASF is closing down its Styropor EPS plants in Pasir Gudang, Malaysia, and Thane, India. The combined EPS capacity of the two plants is more than 100,000 tonnes/year.

The firm says these measures are part of its global strategy “to foster value-oriented growth and to ensure that the firm remains competitive in markets where it adds long-term value both to its customers’ businesses and to BASF.”

In South America, in Brazil and Argentina, also the company is looking to divest its EPS operations. For the Styropor business in Chile the strategic evaluation is still underway. The Styropor business in South America has around 80 employees and an annual production capacity of 83,500 tonnes.

BASF will seek solutions for the 55 employees, who are affected by the shut-down of the EPS plant in Thane. In April 2012, BASF announced an investment of INR 1000 crores to set up an integrated chemical manufacturing hub at Dahej, Gujarat, which will house production facilities for polyurethanes, care chemicals and polymer dispersions.

US private equity firm Carlyle Group has paid US$4.9 billion to acquire DuPont Performance Coatings.

German chemicals firm BASF has set up a new research laboratory for thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) in the US.

German automotive products supplier Mann + Hummel GmbH is expanding in China by acquiring Bengbu Haoye, a manufacturer of filters for the automotive industry.

US-based Emerald Kalama Chemical is building a facility to manufacture environmentally friendly materials in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, at the plant it acquired from DSM in 2010.

Mitsui Chemicals of Tokyo has established a company for functional polymeric materials in Shanghai’s Jinshan district.

Five years after Huntsman Polyurethanes teamed up with renewable resource-based polyol producer Alberdingk Boley to co-develop PU solutions for the coatings market.

Solvay Advanced Polymers is upping capacity for its Spire polyetheretherketone (PAEK) by 70% at its Panoli, India, plant.

In lieu of a growing lighter vehicles trend, Lanxess opens its first US$20 million worth production plant for high-tech plastics plant in Gasronia in the U.S. state of North Carolina, to help meet the increasing demand for premium, lightweight plastics.